Grazing

The term grazing is used to describe the eating of small, frequent meals, or mini-meals, throughout the day, typically every three to four hours. Grazing does not mean constantly eating snack foods, but rather is a concept of
consuming one's daily food intake, including all necessary nutrients, over five or six (or more) small meals, rather than two or three large ones. Frequent eating can be a great way to maintain one's energy level. This is also a beneficial eating pattern for individuals with gastrointestinal problems such as indigestion and acid reflux. Without a focus on healthy choices, however, grazing can become an easy way to overeat, and could possibly lead to weight gain.

Susan Mitchell

Internet Resource

American Dietetic Association. <http://www.eatright.org>

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Artificial sweeteners may assist in weight management, prevention of dental , and control of blood for diabetics. It has also been suggested that low-calorie sweeteners may stimulate the appetite, but the bulk of evidence does not support this hypothesis. Conclusive research demonstrates that artificial sweeteners have no effect on , short- or long-term blood glucose control, or secretion, and they are thus an excellent sugar alternative for diabetics. There have been a number of health concerns related with these products, though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process for artificial sweeteners involves a comprehensive analysis of scientific data to satisfy safety requirements. All "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) sweeteners have undergone extensive safety testing and have been carefully reviewed by the FDA.